22 April 2008

Not long after departing on a deployment, every ship must stop work for a day to focus on safety. Living on a ship is like living in an industrial envrionment. Aside from the obvious things like explosives and fuel, there are dozens of other hazards that Sailors deal with every day and about which can become complacent. Rotating machinery, hazardous noise and heat, trip hazards, slip hazards, toxic and flammable chemicals and gases, and doors and hatches that will bite a finger or two off if you're not careful.

So, a day after the tranist of the Pacific began the whole strike group stopped all routine business to remind everyone about hazards and safe practices. After an all hands talk by the Captain on the flight deck, the crew was divided into five groups and topics grouped at five stations.

A Chief explains the use and wear of a safety harness.

After spending 30-40 minutes on one area, the groups rotated from one station to the next to ensure everyone got all the topics. Four of the stations were general topics every Sailor needs to know about: hazardous materials, hearing conservation and heat stress, electrical safety and personal protective equipment. The final station covered some general shipboard safety information and work-specific topics.

Another Chief gets passionate about electrical safety.

And, once the morning was concluded and after a brief break for lunch, the whole presentation was repeated on the messdecks with the Sailors who were on watch in the morning. After all, "all hands" means all hands.

USS RUSSELL (DDG 59)

U.S. Navy Photo

Muster Report

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